Corner clamp with guide means for use with power tools



Jan. 8, 1957 w. E. COWLEY 2,776,583

CORNER CLAMP WITH cum: MEANS FOR uss WITH POWER TOOLS Filed Aug. 18. 1954 United States Patent CORNER CLAMP WITH GUIDE MEANS FOR USE WITH POWER TOOLS William E. Cowley, Louisville, Ky., assignor to American Saw & Tool Company, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky 1 7 Application August 18, 1954, Serial No. 450,635

2 Claims. (Cl. 144-293) My present invention relates generally to a corner clamp, and, more specifically, to a clamp fixture for holding wooden sections, such as picture frame sections, in a right angle relationship while work is being performed thereon.

Wooden sections may be secured together at an angle in any one of a number of ways. The sections may be joined, for example, by nails or corrugated cleats. Fasteners of this type, however, are unsuitable for finished work such as picture frames. Generally, in the case of finished work, an interconnecting spline is glued in a groove formed in the edges of the abutting ends of the work pieces to be joined. At the present time, thedesired grooves are formed individually in the ends of each work piece which are then put together and a'spline glued in place. This manner of assembly in most cases is unsatisfactory because of the difficulty in matching the grooves which have been pre-cut in the individual work pieces.

It is an object of my present invention to provide a clamp fixture for holding two wooden sections at a predetermined angle so that a spline-receiving groove may be cut in the edges of the sections at the abutting ends thereof. a v p f j The clamp fixture of my present invention comprises a planar body member having one straight edge and having a pair of diverging fixed clamp jaws securedto the body member at a predetermined angle to each other. The clamp fixture is further provided with clamp jaw means that is moveable toward and away from the fixed clamp jaws for gripping two wooden sections at a predetermined angle. The moveable clamp jaw means is actuated by an advancing screw carried by the body member. The proximate ends of the clamp jaws are spaced from each other and from the straight edge of the body member so that portions of the abutting ends of the clamped wooden sections project past the clamp jaws to permit the desired groove to be cut in the edges of these abutting ends.

The above described fixture is preferably adapted for use with a power driven bench saw. The desired groove is cut by moving the projecting end portions of the wooden sections through a rotating dado assembly. During the cutting of the groove, the straight edge of the clamp engages the table of the bench saw to horizontally guide the clamp, and the body member engages the face of the adjustable saw guide to vertically guide the clamp. After the groove has been cut, a wooden spline is glued therein for permanently securing the wooden sections together.

Now, in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of constructing and using corner clamp fixtures in accordance with the principles of my present invention, I shall describe in connection with the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the corner clamp fixice ture of myv present invention in operative position on a power driven table saw;

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the clamp of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the clamp of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the clamp of normal to the plane of the body 10, and is formed with a central, rectangular cut-out 12. Also, the upper corners may be severed to define diagonal edges 14. Along the lower edge of the body member 10, at each side of the cut out 12, flange means in the nature of integral right angle foot portions 16 are provided which serve as horizontal guide means during use of the clamp.

A pair of diverging clamp jaws 18, preferably arranged at right angles relative to each other and at 45 from the lower edge of the body 10, are secured to the body 10 and extend from the upper corners of the cut-out 12 to the diagonal edges 14. Accordingly, the proximate ends of the clamp jaws 18 are spaced from each other and from the lower edge of the body 10.' Moreover, the planes ofthe upper faces of the clamp jaws 18 meet at a point adjacent the lower edge of the body 10 inwardly of the plane of the latter. Cooperating with the fixed jaws 18 is generally V-shaped moveable clamp jaw means comprising a pair of moveable jaws 20 which are interconnected and carried at right angles to each other by transverse plate and brace members 21 and 22. The brace 22 is secured by peening, welding, or the like to the reduced end of a vertical advancing screw 24 having a wing-type head 26. The screw 24 is threadable in a? collar member 28 suitably secured, as by welding, to the upper edge of the body 10 centrally of the ends thereof.

The aforedescribed clamp of my present invention is adapted to hold two wooden sections (e. g., picture frame sections) in a right angle relationship so that a spline receiving groove or slot may be cut in the edges of the sections at the abutting ends thereof. In operation, the screw 24 is turned until the moveable clamp jaws 20 are spaced far enough away from the fixed jaws 18 to accommodate two wooden sections 36 and 38 which are to be joined. Prior to being arranged in the clamp, the ends of the wooden sections are mitered so that they can be disposed in abutting relation at right angles to each other. The wooden sections are then positioned in the clamp intermediate of the jaws 18 and 20 and the screw 24 is tightened until the sections are firmly gripped with the mitered edges abutting. Because the proximate ends of the fixed jaws 18 are arranged in spaced relation, portions of the abutting ends of the clamped wooden sections 36 and 38 are permitted to project past the jaws 18 so that a cut may be made therein.

The desired groove or slot may be cut in the abutting ends of the sections, for example, by means of dado heads and groovers 40 mounted on the arbor of a power driven bench saw 42. The clamp and sections are positioned with the foot portions 16 engaging the table 44 of the bench saw and with the body 10 engaging the facing of the adjustable saw guide 46. The guide 46 is then moved toward the dado assembly 40 until the wooden sections 36 and 38 are centered relaare released from gripping engagement with the sections 36 and 3,8. The wooden sections may then be removed from the clamp and, if necessary, the exposed edges of the spline sanded and finished flush with the edges of the sections. It is of course to be understood that. the. wooden sections do not necessarily have to remain in; the clampduringthe gluing of the'splinejin' plaee.

From the foregoing description, it should be apparent that I have provided a corner clamp fixture which.

facilitates the cutting of grooves in the edges of. the abutting ends of work pieces. More. specifically, alignment of the portions of the groove in adjacent sections isas'sured since the latter are cut together. The clamp further permits the grooves to be cut on a conventional power driven table saw. Thus, the required grooving. can be performed even in the average home workshop.

Now, while I have shown and described whatlfbelieve to be a preferred embodiment of my present invention, it will be understood that various rearrangements. and

modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A clamp fixture comprising a planar body-member having at least one edge lying in a plane normal to the.

plane of the body member and having an opening therein along said edge, a pair of clamp jaws secured to saidv body member in predetermined angular relation to one another and said edge, said clamp jaws diverging from said edge of said body member and having an imaginary point of intersection spaced inwardly from but adjacent said edge substantially centrally of said opening in said body member, the proximate ends of said clamp jaws terminating short of said opening and being spaced substantially from each other and from the said one edge of said body member, whereby two members supported on said clamp jaws and abutted at their ends are related atpredetermined angles to one another and are exposed at their abutted ends in said opening, clamp jaw means complementary to said clamp jaws movable toward and away from said clamp jaws to clamp two members thereon, and means carried by said body member for effecting clamping movement of said clamp jaw means.

2. A fixture for clamping two members in abutting predetermined angular relation to one another, comprising a planar body having a straight edge and a cut-out of substantial size in the central portion thereof extending from said straight edge into said body, a pair of clamp jaws diverging from said edge secured to one side of said body normal to the plane thereof, the proximate ends of said clamp jaws terminating at the corners of said cut-out in said body, said clamp jaws extending at predetermined angles to one another and to said straight edge of said body, the proximate ends of said clamp jaws being substantially spaced from one another and from said straight edge of said body, the imaginary point of intersection of said clamp jaws being spaced inwardly from but adjacent said straight edge of said body substantially centrally of said cut-out, whereby two members supported by said clamp jaws and abutted at their ends are related at predetermined angles to one another and are exposed at their abutted. ends in said cut-out to accommodate performance of work onsaid abutted ends, a generally V-shaped member ofa size smaller than said body slidably engaging said one side of said body centrally of said cut-out to the side of said clamp jaws opposite said cut-out, said V-shaped member having edges adjacent and parallel to said clamp jaws, a second pair of clamp jaws secured to the said edges of said V-shaped member parallel respectively to the first-named clamp jaws, and adjustable clamp means operable between said V-shaped member and said body to move said V-shaped member and said second pair of clamp jaws toward and away from said first-named clamp aws.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,246,466 Reeves Nov. 13, 1917 1,372,661 Secord Mar. 22, 1921 1,393,059 White Oct. 11, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS 276,219 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1951 

